I’m almost scared to type that question, as the rehab gods and Murphy might take it as a challenge…But this past week saw only two intakes, a nestling mocker and a cat-attacked hummer. The juvy Mississippi kite is with a new buddy at Bubba & Friends now, giving him a pal for when they migrate toward the end of this month. The wobbly thrasher was released last week and has joined the “Mooch Mob” in demanding handouts.

Two of the three swifts have been released. While they were in the flight pen, there was always one bird who was clinging to the mesh or on the ground; I couldn’t tell if it was the same bird or not, so when they started chittering noisily and developing cabin fever, I decided it was time to go; after all, these birds have a migration to prepare for, as well. Two of them flew straight into the group above us; the third is the reason there’s no video or photos of the release. She headed straight for the ground and laid there, wings outstretched. So…this doesn’t bode well for her, to be honest, but on the off chance that she just needs a little more time, we’re giving her a grace period to see if she can get her act together. Otherwise, there’s only one option: euthanasia.

The red tail is quite content to have guaranteed daily meals but we’re…ummm…negotiating a release here. In a switch on the usual order of things, the “captor” is ready to grant the “captive” her freedom, but thus far, she ain’t havin’ it. We’ll see how talks progress this week.

When this nestling mocker was found on the ground, we were experiencing one of Georgia’s trademark scorching summer days with humidity matching the thermometer. The poor baby was dehydrated but responded well to fluid therapy and by end of day was alert and eating like a pro. Unfortunately, there must have been some underlying issues, as the wee one died in his sleep that night.

The two screeches are roomies now and that, my friends, is—pardon the pun—a hoot. The younger screech—the one with eating issues—is, as we suspected, a female; even though she’s a few weeks younger than the male, she’s noticeably larger and somewhat more laid back. The male is a paranoid little rascal. So we get constant stink-eye, head bobbing, beak clicking—the works, almost none of which is evidenced in the video, ‘cause, you know, that would be COOPERATING. But being with a buddy does seem to’ve encouraged the female to eat; she’s still being hand-fed but is showing more interest in her meals and may have eaten part of a mouse on her own last night. There were two in the cage, and both had been mauled this morning—and the male generally eats only about half his mouse each night.

And finally, this young ruby-throated hummer was being used as a bat-a-ball by a cat so he looked a bit rough on intake. Thankfully, there were no punctures or fractures, although he’s on meds to be sure. He’s been alert from intake, preening vigorously to remove the last traces of what appeared to be a bath in red-dye nectar.

Two associated rants here: 1.KEEP CATS INDOORS for the safety of all our wildlife—and for the safety of the cats. 2.Please, please, PLEASE don’t use that nasty red dye hummer food. Did you know you can make your own hummer nectar much more cheaply using just sugar and water? One part sugar to four parts water—i.e., 1 cup sugar and 4 cups water—mixed well and heated for a few minutes on the stove or in the microwave to further dissolve the sugar and destroy any bacteria in the water. Allow to cool and place in your feeders. And there ya go—hummer nectar that’s easier on your pocketbook and, more importantly, easier on the hummers’ kidneys. As of today, he’s looking better; his feathers are less ruffled. He buzzes around his cage and can hover and fly well, so he’s a candidate for release ASAP.

Geez, lady, it's barely sunup; what's your problem?

He hopped on my finger while I was trading out feeders this morning. Didn't stay there long!

And just a reminder, LWR is still engaged in a fundraiser. With 186 intakes to date, another month to go as baby season winds down, and migration looming, with its concomitant injured/starving intakes, we’re in need of extra funds to see us through the end of the year. As of today, we’ve raised $1002 of the $2000 goal, so we’re halfway there! Your donation, regardless of size, does make a difference, so donate today! Your donation, regardless of size, does make a difference, so donate today! You can click on the photo below to go directly to the FundRazr page for LWR.